5 weeks out (calorie intake?)
I am 5 weeks out today and I'm wondering what the average amount of calories other post ops are getting in a day? I am probably only getting in about 400 calories a day. I'm not usually hungry, I do try to focus on protien, I'm taking all my vitamins and I am steadily losing weight. I could try to eat more frequently even thought I'm not hungry but I'm not sure I should. Usually 3 to 4 forkfulls or spoonfulls of whatever I'm having fills me up. What do you guys think? 
Well, I know there is a wide variety of pouch sizes out there, so all I can say is your amount doesn't seem abnormal to me. I have found at 6 weeks out that I feel like I eat less now than a few weeks ago. My hunger has greatly diminished and I have been skipping some meals. Every few days I will get really hungry for the whole day and may get up to 800 calories, but it's few and far between now. I have had a few days where I would be surprised if I got 200 calories, and a lot of days where 350-400 is the norm.
Dina
I've been eating less, too (surgery 3/2). Maybe it's because we're finally healing and can "feel" the fullness more accurately. Of course, adding more solid food is part of it, too. I'm wondering if I need to eat more, as I read a lot of messages where weight loss can stall if the body thinks it's in starvation mode. Still, I'm also told to really pay attention to the fullness and stop. I am eating my protein first and have always hated counting stuff up, so I'm probably somewhat under 60 grams but over 40 per day. I've been focusing on trying to keep my self care (water, exercise) going in a time of terrible work pressure, ugh not what I would have chosen right now.
I'm going to a hospital support group on Saturday and will ask about this and get back with what they have to say.
Gano
Dinah, you seem to be so on top of things with your knowledge and the things you are doing to take good care of yourself. Can I ask a favor? Would you mind posting one or two days worth of your eating plan, just tell us what you eat and drink during the normal course of a day? If you'd rather not, I understand, but I'm still confused about the eating thing. In fact, if anyone would like to share how they're eating, that would really help me. Here's what I had yesterday:
1/2 C. oatmeal with 1/4 peeled apple. I put a scoop of Beneprotein in the oatmeal (gag me!!) Also, about 3 oz. 1% milk in the oatmeal.
1 slice 100% whole wheat bread, toasted and cut in half, with approx. 2 oz. tuna with lite mayo, lettuce and tomato, diced (a tuna salad sandwich)
1 order of Wendy's chili, small, but only ate 1/2 of it, with 1 small ceasar's salad and a drizzle of lite ranch dressing. Again, only ate 1/2 of the salad.
1 glass of 1/2 1% milk with 1/2 low fat carb countdown, and again mixed in 1 scoop beneprotein (this is good!)
58 fl. oz. of water
So far today:
1 poached egg on 1 slice toasted 100% whole wheat bread w/smear of lite margerine
Again, the Wendy's meal, same portions
Haven't eaten anything else yet today
What's your analysis?? Thanks so much. Maureen
RE: 5 weeks out (calorie intake?)
Response from Reenie B at 2:45 PM PST on 04/28/2004
Hampton, CT - RNY (03/08/2004)
Dinah, you seem to be so on top of things with your knowledge and the things you are doing to take good care of yourself. Can I ask a favor? Would you mind posting one or two days worth of your eating plan, just tell us what you eat and drink during the normal course of a day? If you'd rather not, I understand, but I'm still confused about the eating thing. In fact, if anyone would like to share how they're eating, that would really help me. Here's what I had yesterday:
1/2 C. oatmeal with 1/4 peeled apple. I put a scoop of Beneprotein in the oatmeal (gag me!!) Also, about 3 oz. 1% milk in the oatmeal.
1 slice 100% whole wheat bread, toasted and cut in half, with approx. 2 oz. tuna with lite mayo, lettuce and tomato, diced (a tuna salad sandwich)
1 order of Wendy's chili, small, but only ate 1/2 of it, with 1 small ceasar's salad and a drizzle of lite ranch dressing. Again, only ate 1/2 of the salad.
1 glass of 1/2 1% milk with 1/2 low fat carb countdown, and again mixed in 1 scoop beneprotein (this is good!)
58 fl. oz. of water
So far today:
1 poached egg on 1 slice toasted 100% whole wheat bread w/smear of lite margerine
Again, the Wendy's meal, same portions
Haven't eaten anything else yet today
What's your analysis?? Thanks so much. Maureen
Maureen -
I haven't been great about logging my meals lately, but I'll try to write down what I can. I use www.fitday.com to log everything. It is really wonderful and a way to know exactly what you are getting!
On your meals I would tend to look at this and say you aren't getting enough protein. I am not sure what size your pouch is, but I would try to come at it like this: Log your protein intake and make a goal of 60 grams. Once you are on a good path to that, then don't worry about the carbs. Let them be the filler.
What I will do is in the morning a lot of times I will have my protein drink (the Protidiet that is so good). I will usually drink 2 servings which gives me 30 grams of protein. If I do this I may not eat anything else that morning. If I feel hungry (I usually don't) I will have something light in calories like part of an apple or a little FF/SF yogurt. I would say that instead of oatmeal you might want to try the other protein sources first. Atkins also makes a wonderful low-carb high protein cereal line that is great for breakfast. It goes down well for me. I have it with the high protein milk. If you want hot cereal, I would suggest cream of wheat or Zoom or something like that, and made with the low-carb milk instead of water. It really helps pack a punch to get that protein in.
I just listen to my stomach and let it decide when to eat. Sometimes it is twice a day. Sometimes it's several times a day...depends on how much I ate the day before usually.
For lunch I might have something like a 4 oz can of chicken with cottage cheese. I love the roasted chicken breast over cottage cheese...all warm and yummy. It makes for a very satisfying lunch. If I want some crackers I will maybe have a couple with it but I usually don't. That will give me another 25-30 grams of protein.
Sometimes I have half a sandwich for lunch. I was using the low-carb high fiber bread but it was sticking too much for me. I can't even have it toasted anymore. So I went to the regular whole wheat bread and it is going down easier for me. I had quite the sandwich yesterday as I was starved. I used 2 slices of low-fat bologna on 1 slice of bread with a tiny scrape of mayo. I think I figured it out to be right around 200 calories for that lunch. But it was very satisfying.
Tonight for dinner I had that bologna sandwich w/o the mayo and 1 slice of cheese and grilled with low-fat non-trans fat margarine. It was quite tasty and went down great. I assume with the amount of low-fat margarine I had and 1 slice of bologna instead of 2, it put the calories around 150. The only reason I am keeping these numbers in my mind is so I keep aware of what is going in my mouth. I don't want to start loading up on things high in calories that could stall me.
Anyway, my goal each day (although sometimes I don't make it) is to get the protein in first. Everything else after that is inconsequential to a degree. Obviously I won't be drinking sugared soda or eating sticks of butter. This is slightly different than I dealt with my eating when on Atkins in that I am watching my calories and fat, but I am not *as* concerned about the carbs. I still watch them, but not as strongly as I did before.
Some days I don't feel like eating much so I take advantage of that. I know that the next day I might want to eat more. When I just can't seem to get rid of the need to eat and I have such strong hunger, I will try to eat low-calorie veggies. I adore broccoli and cauliflower and it goes down easy. I use that spray I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on it and it is wonderful. I will also eat a lot of cucumbers. They are watery though and believe it or not don't last long in my stomach. But it helps for awhile. I will also have a salad with no-fat dressing when possible. I try not to do reduced fat because it still ends up being a lot of calories for something I don't want to spend my calories on. Before when I was on Atkins I would freely eat any amount of dressing! 
What a change!
Anyway, that is how *I* eat. I can't say it's right for everyone though. I think the thing to remember is that if people who aren't good and eat all the wrong foods are able to lose weight on this, anyone who gives half a damn and tries to eat right will be successful. I think the thing is, I'm trying to focus on 6 months down the line instead of 1 week or 1 month. I know I'm losing slower than some others who are eating the same thing. That's okay. We'll all end up in close to the same spot anyway. 
Dina
What a change!
Anyway, that is how *I* eat. I can't say it's right for everyone though. I think the thing to remember is that if people who aren't good and eat all the wrong foods are able to lose weight on this, anyone who gives half a damn and tries to eat right will be successful. I think the thing is, I'm trying to focus on 6 months down the line instead of 1 week or 1 month. I know I'm losing slower than some others who are eating the same thing. That's okay. We'll all end up in close to the same spot anyway.
Dina Dinah, I think you're right about the protein and I admit I have not been logging my meals. I am so concerned about the terrible constipation problem that I've been having that I thought it was time to eat more like South Beach and incorporate the "good" carbs. I will start logging and see where I'm at. Thanks so much for your reply, it really helps. Why do we need so much protein anyway? I understand that in the beginning it was what was essential to healing our pouches, but why now, and how long -- will we have to have 60 grams of protein every day for the rest of our lives? Doesn't that amount of protein cause liver and kidney damage? Yup, I know, you're not a doctor (or are you???) -- I'm just thinking out loud here. Thanks again! Maureen P.S. Where do you get the Protidiet?
On average I get 400-600 calories/day. There were maybe a couple of times where I reached 800; but probably because I had eaten so few the day before. Most times, though it's under 600. I visited my dietician on last week and she told me that I wasn't eating enough and that I should not be concerned with calories/carbs/fat grams. 
Boy was that a shocker to me. I do get in about 60-80 proteins/day.
Boy was that a shocker to me. I do get in about 60-80 proteins/day. 
How are you eating 1000 a day? I just don't at this point know how I could do that. I know Iam not eating enough. Definitely not enough protein. But I get full so fast. A real problem for me is breakfast. I just can not eat it so I do 1/2 an atkins advantage bar or a protein drink. But the protein drinks taste horrible anymore so it is really hard to make myself drink them. Then for lunch I eat like 2 crackers with some brie or 2 crackers with salmon. Something like that. I made myself a half ham sandwich on that low carb all grain bread toasted yesterday. With a little gray poupon mustard. I took one bite of the sandwich and knew I couldnt eat it. The bread that is. So I took a couple little bites of just the ham and then I was stuffed. For dinner I had a large tbs of manwich with some cheese melted on it. I also had a few grapes in the middle of the day. I often feel hungry but when I eat, it just fills me so quickly, that I dont eat much. I think this is a problem. I know I am not getting enough protein and I am also not getting enough water. At this point I am not even looking at calories. I did log on fitday for a few days and my calories were under 400. ANy advice for me?
Nicole
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